'Hey, you missed a spot': Hub Blog heard a metal clattering and the sound of sweeping outside, so I rushed to my window, threw open the sash, leaned out and -- yes! -- a city crew was cleaning up the street below, armed with push brooms, shovels and trash bags. I was tempted to say, upon spotting a little trash tucked between a car tire and curb, 'Hey, you missed a spot!' But it would have been too obnoxious. ... They did an impressive job. I appreciated it -- even though I know it won't last, unless we start having mayoral elections every year.



'A breath of fresh air': You know the city and nation are going through a gloriously slow news period when Hub Blog is writing about street sweepers, ideologues are arguing about filibusters (pro or con -- like Florida chads) and Reader No. 1 sends in reviews of movies. But I love slow days. Better than bad fast days. From Reader No. 1:

"A breath of fresh air. The weather, for sure, but also this KINGDOM OF HEAVEN review. It's almost enough to make me re-evaluate GLADIATOR, but the epic overcame the political silliness.

"Speaking of silliness, here's one explanation for Edgar Renteria's slow Sox start.

"But here's something I'd REALLY like to see happen."

Update -- OK, now that we're talking historical silliness, I might as well throw in that I'm reading Irving Wallace's 'The Word.' ... And Hub Blog has it on good authority that a Hub Blog brother has taken our book-series cult to a new level by purchasing the DVD Sharpe's Collector's Edition. ...  ¶ 9:41 AM